Kylie Dulac of Lewiston/Oak Hill shoots the puck past St. Dominic Academy goalkeeper Alana Wheeler to give the Blue Devils a 1-0 advantage during a Jan. 24 game in Auburn. Dulac, a freshman, is the Sun Journal Girls Hockey Player of the Year. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

Kylie Dulac is proud of what she accomplished  during her freshman season.

The Lewiston/Oak Hill right winger was the Blue Devils’ offensive spark plug, leading the team with 29 goals and adding seven assists to earn Sun Journal’s All-Region Player of the Year.

“The connection with my teammates clicked almost immediately with the first practice,” Dulac said. “I had known some of them prior, but they were also helping me in practice. I used the practice to work on the stuff that I needed, and that helped me progress throughout the season.”

Dulac has been chosen as the Sun Journal’s All-Region Girls Hockey Player of the Year. She is also was voted KVAC First Team and named Lewiston’s Offensive Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.

Lewiston coach Scott Laberge said he realized before the games started in late November that Dulac had the potential to have a special season.

“I knew coming in she had a lot of hockey experience,” Laberge said. “You could see right away she was going to be a contributor and the adjustment time was going to be short.”

Laberge initially put Dulac at center, a position she was unfamiliar with.

Kylie Dulac of Lewiston High School skates up the ice during a Jan. 24 game against St. Dominic Academy in Auburn. Daryn Slover/Sun Journal

“I was kind of out of sorts, and the position just jumbled me up,” Dulac said. “I was not aware of my surroundings, and I didn’t know what to do and where I needed to be. Switching me back to wing, where I naturally played, was so much easier for me.”

To relieve the pressure on Dulac, Laberge moved sophomore Crew Langley to center.

“She could have done it if she stuck with it,” Laberge said of Dulac. “But when I put Crew on that first line, centering that first line, it helped open her up and make her more comfortable. She could do her things in the corners and not have to worry about the defensive aspects of centering a line.”

Dulac said she clicked with Langley and Emma Berube, who was the left wing on the Blue Devils top line, and they helped her rack up points.

“My first line, all told, with her, Emma, and Crew, I would put them up with any other first line,” Laberge said. “When we figured that out, it freed her up.”

Dulac’s breakout performance came during Lewiston/Oak Hill’s home game against Edward Little/Leavitt/Poland when she recorded four goals in a 5-3 win.

“That kind of solidified in her mind that she belonged there,” Laberge said. “She could, if she wanted to, kind of take over a game.”

Dulac never looked back after that Jan. 5 game.

Lewiston/Oak Hill’s Kylie Dulac maintains control of the puck while under pressure from St. Dominic Academy’s Lauren Hanlon, left, and Emily Andrews during A Dec. 22, 2023, game in Lewiston. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal

“That EL game was definitely a confidence booster, and was the turning point for the rest of the season for me,” Dulac said.

Dulac also scored the game-winning goal in Lewiston’s second game against the Red Hornets, on Jan. 31.

This year’s Blue Devils had a wide range of skill levels. Dulac had youth hockey experience, so she looked for ways to help the inexperienced players.

“I tried my best to give helpful tips when I could, Dulac said. “I was there when they needed something, and I definitely saw improvement with linemates and other players.”

Despite being a freshman, Dulac wasn’t afraid to speak up when it was warranted.

“It didn’t take long to get her voice,” Laberge said. “She was quiet at first, but once we realized she was a leader on the team, she established her voice and wasn’t afraid to talk to her teammates and tell them what she’s trying to do and give them advice.”

Dulac, after nearly scoring 30 goals this season, has some bad news for goaltenders the Blue Devils face in 2024-25.

“I want to definitely work on my strength training to help with my shot, and my accuracy, as well,” Dulac said. “Those are the two major things I want to work on.”